Virat Kohli’s latest masterclass was not just about another milestone, but a window into his enduring mindset as a competitor. A record-extending ninth century. A 10th career T20 ton — the most by an Indian batter. First since 2024. The patient Raipur crowd, who waited for 75 minutes through a rain delay at the start of the game, witnessed one of Kohli’s most serene and effortless knocks that powered RCB’s charge on Wednesday against the Kolkata Knight Riders. The unbeaten 105, a third century in a chasing cause in the IPL, saw the defending champions reclaim the top spot in the table and move one step closer to sealing a playoff berth.
When Jitesh Sharma put Kohli on strike on the second ball of the 19th over, the Raipur crowd were on their feet. As the icon stood one run away from the triple-figure mark, phones came out to capture the special moment. It was Kohli after all. There was bound to be a celebration, especially given that this century came after two consecutive ducks.
Kohli dabbed the next ball, a fuller delivery from Vaibhav Arora, towards long-off for a single, and Raipur erupted. But Kohli chose restraint over celebration. The RCB dugout was on its feet. Jitesh seemingly even signalled at Kohli to celebrate, but the batter gestured “later” to his partner and acknowledged the applause from the dugout with a simple thumbs up.
The job, however, was not yet done. RCB needed just 11 runs off the final 11 balls, and victory seemed inevitable. But Kohli chose not to get ahead of himself. T20 is a fickle game, and with so much at stake in a tightly contested season where one mistake could cost RCB a playoff spot, he stayed focused on finishing the job.
Century a secondary feat for Kohli
When Ian Bishop later asked him about his muted celebration after a historic knock in Raipur, Kohli stressed the importance of finishing games over personal milestones.
“The celebration wasn’t a big one because we know the importance of the points right now. And yeah, look, for me, it’s a conscious effort to try and contribute to the team’s scores. And I know if I bat for long enough in the game, our chances of winning become higher. So the fact that I didn’t get many runs in the last two games, it eats me up in a way because I know I can play well and I’m hitting the ball well."
"But when you don’t carry on and you haven’t created the impact for the team, it bothers you because that’s been the goal all these years — trying to improve so that you can be the best version for your team and make an impact. So, century or no century, I think the more important thing is finishing the game, making sure I was out there till the end to get those two points, which again puts us at the top of the table,” he said after collecting the Player of the Match award for a record-equalling 21st time in IPL history.
‘Pressure is a privilege’
It wasn’t just any hundred for Kohli. He was coming off a lean patch, having scored just 51 runs in his previous four innings, including two ducks. Those struggles coincided with RCB stuttering in the second half of the season, losing to Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, which saw them slip from the top of the table.
In his post-match reflection, Kohli further spoke about how he views pressure as a privilege that keeps him grounded and constantly evolving as a player, saying that even small dips in form or a couple of games not going his way create a sense of nervousness that ultimately helps sharpen his game, as those failures are crucial in pushing him back to the level where he has been and to doing what has always defined his success.
“There is a reason people say pressure is a privilege — it keeps you humble. Good pressure always helps you improve your game. A couple of games that do not go your way, you feel a bit of nervousness and that helps you. It takes a lot of effort, but it helps your game go up. Those failures are so important because that puts you in a place to get back to where you have been and do what has gotten you there,” he added.
RCB will play their next game against PBKS on May 17.